Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Li Ziran allows Zhu Ya, an Elf pursued by Demons, to travel with him to Red Sun Volcanic Island in exchange for possible information and compensation. As they sail through the Deep Sea, a massive vortex forms southeast of them, caused by the approaching Devouring Serpent. Li dives the whale-like vessel as deeply as possible to avoid the storm, though the waves and pressure still threaten them.
During the journey, Zhu Ya reveals that Elemental Embryos possess unstable souls and can be disrupted by the Judgment Knights’ Dispelling spell. Li realizes that the spell mainly interferes with artificially accelerated possession and does not fundamentally invalidate his research. When Baron mentions that they are searching for a Devouring Serpent, Zhu Ya insists that the creature is virtually impossible to approach. She claims it lives at the bottom of the Abyss, devours everything around its nesting site, and cannot be imprisoned in Derivative Space. She also dismisses the Demons’ claim to rule the Deep Sea, describing them as refugees occupying an abandoned Devouring Serpent nest.
Li becomes suspicious because Zhu Ya’s account contradicts Jones’s claim that the Devouring Serpent is trapped in Derivative Space. He decides he must meet Jones to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Jones orders Tuna punished and demands that Li be found before Human scouts capture him.

Character developments

• Li Ziran remains cold, focused, and distrustful. He is primarily concerned with his Elemental Embryo research and obtaining a Devouring Serpent organ, but Zhu Ya’s information forces him to reconsider whether Jones has deceived him. His calm reaction to Zhu Ya’s revelations makes him appear mysterious and highly knowledgeable.
• Zhu Ya shifts from cautious passenger to probing investigator. She suspects Li is far more informed about Elemental Embryos than he admits and becomes increasingly frustrated by his indifference. Her playful interaction with Baron shows her ability to manipulate conversations and gather information.
• Baron is enthusiastic and sociable, happily showing Zhu Ya around the vessel. He is easily flustered by her attention and inadvertently reveals their mission.
• Jones is revealed to be desperate and angry after Tuna’s failure. He fears Li will be captured and orders extreme measures to locate him.

Significant themes

• Truth versus deception: Conflicting accounts from Zhu Ya and Jones make it unclear who is manipulating Li and whether the Devouring Serpent can truly be contained.
• Knowledge and appearance: Li’s silence and composure cause Zhu Ya to overestimate or question his knowledge, while the Demons’ claims of ruling the Deep Sea are exposed as propaganda.
• Scientific ambition and risk: Li’s research into Elemental Embryos continues despite serious flaws and dangers, reflecting his determination to pursue knowledge even in hostile conditions.
• Power and survival: The Devouring Serpent represents a natural force beyond the control of Demons or Humans, while the storm and Deep Sea emphasize the vulnerability of all travelers.

Character interactions

Zhu Ya repeatedly questions Li about Elemental Embryos, trying to provoke a reaction, but he responds with restrained irritation. She then turns to Baron, using charm to learn their destination. Baron reveals their search for the Devouring Serpent, prompting Zhu Ya’s warning that the mission is effectively suicidal. Her claims directly challenge Li’s assumptions and create a tense information battle between them. The chapter ends with Jones’s furious orders, linking the travelers’ journey to the Demons’ urgent efforts to recover or silence Li.

Chapter Summary: “The Deep Sea Boils”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jones discovers that Li Ziran has disappeared after the Tuna guide was tortured and killed. The Tuna’s soul had been forcibly bound inside its body, indicating that Li Ziran may have escaped during the chaos.
• The Golden Palace’s Demons are unable to locate Li Ziran in the vast Deep Sea, especially since the area is filled with dangerous Outer Sea beasts and the battlefield contains no clear clues.
• Jones decides to request assistance from the Demon Military. His subordinate suggests exaggerating Li Ziran’s importance by claiming that he may possess technology capable of creating dangerous Soul Embryos.
• The Demon Military launches a massive search operation throughout the Deep Sea. Demons seize the bodies of Elves and sea creatures, establish garrisons on islands, and offer enormous rewards for information about a slender human in a black robe.
• The large-scale mobilization exposes and threatens numerous Human Race outposts hidden throughout the Deep Sea. Human infiltrators are ordered to wait for instructions while their positions are gradually discovered.
• Human Federation leaders in the Triangular Tower receive the same intelligence and conclude that the missing human must be connected to advanced Demon Embryo technology. They authorize reinforcements, Archmages, military forces, magic legions, and possible cooperation with the Elves.
• Meanwhile, Zhu Ya and Li Ziran reach Red Sun Volcanic Island aboard a wounded whale. The island is hidden beneath the sea and contains a powerful elemental region and a secret Derivative Space.
• Zhu Ya opens the entrance to the volcanic outpost, but Li Ziran is immediately confronted by a guard who points a spear at his throat and demands to know his identity.

Character Developments

• Jones becomes increasingly desperate and politically aggressive. Although he understands that deceiving the Demon lords is dangerous, he is willing to manipulate them because he views Li Ziran as essential to the Golden Palace’s rise and the Demon race’s return to the Red Soil Continent.
• Li Ziran remains mysterious and largely offstage, but his importance grows. Both the Demons and Humans believe his Embryo technology could decisively influence the coming Holy War.
• Zhu Ya is revealed to be Li Ziran’s guide and ally. She successfully transports him through the perilous Deep Sea and uses her knowledge to access Red Sun Volcanic Island.
• The Demon Military shifts from local investigation to full-scale mobilization, demonstrating how seriously it regards Li Ziran.
• Human Federation leaders respond cautiously but decisively, recognizing that the search may signal a major strategic development.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and wartime paranoia: Jones distorts information to secure military support, while both factions treat Li Ziran as a potential weapon.
• The value of knowledge and technology: Li Ziran’s Embryo research makes him more important than an ordinary person and turns him into a prize in the growing Demon-Human conflict.
• Escalation toward war: The search operation exposes hidden military positions and leads both sides to deploy additional forces, bringing the Holy War closer.
• Transformation and possession: Demons inhabit the bodies of Elves and sea creatures, emphasizing the chapter’s unsettling ideas about identity, power, and the exploitation of living bodies.
• The danger and wonder of the Deep Sea: The region is simultaneously a hostile battlefield and a fertile elemental world capable of sustaining extraordinary life.

Character Interactions

• Jones and his subordinates debate how to respond to Li Ziran’s disappearance, with one subordinate urging him to manipulate the Demon lords into intervening.
• Demon civilians are motivated by extravagant rewards to search for Li Ziran, while Human infiltrators hide from the resulting crackdown.
• Human commanders and Title Magisters coordinate plans to protect their outposts and investigate the mysterious fugitive.
• Zhu Ya and Li Ziran travel together through the Deep Sea, with Zhu Ya guiding him into Red Sun Volcanic Island.
• The chapter ends with Li Ziran’s arrival provoking immediate hostility from the outpost guard, setting up a confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran arrives at Red Sun Outpost with Zhu Ya, seeking Element Stones and information about the Devouring Serpent.
• Yasu, the outpost’s suspicious inspector, holds a spear to Li Ziran’s throat and questions him, fearing he may be a Demon infiltrator. Zhu Ya defends Li and insists that he is human and free of possession.
• Zhu Ya’s grandfather, the outpost commander, intervenes and allows Li Ziran to enter. He explains that the Demons are searching the Deep Sea intensely and that Red Sun Outpost may soon be sealed.
• When Li reveals that he intends to find the Devouring Serpent, the outpost residents mock and discourage him. The commander explains that the creature’s birth destroys everything nearby, making it impossible to approach.
• Li refuses to abandon his goal. The commander reveals that his own father once controlled a Devouring Serpent during World War II, despite being human rather than a Demon.
• Li learns that this man is still alive but has become violently insane and is imprisoned deep beneath the volcano. He reportedly devours healers who attempt to treat him.
• Believing his special abilities as a Witch Doctor and surgeon may succeed where others failed, Li begs for a chance to help. The commander agrees, allowing him to work as the prisoner’s food-delivery laborer for three days, provided the imprisoned man tolerates him.
• Li and the others teleport into the outpost, where he discovers a vast research plaza filled with preserved Elemental Embryos. The commander examines them with professional seriousness, but Li considers the embryos worthless.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates courage, persistence, and confidence in his abilities. He remains calm even when threatened and refuses to give up on reaching the Devouring Serpent.
• His determination shifts from simply obtaining supplies to pursuing a dangerous medical opportunity that may provide clues about controlling the serpent.
• Zhu Ya becomes openly protective of Li, even placing a spear against her own neck to prevent Yasu from treating him as a criminal. Her loyalty and concern for him deepen.
• Yasu is established as cautious, dutiful, and suspicious. Although he initially views Li as a possible enemy, his mockery shows that he considers Li’s plan hopelessly reckless.
• The outpost commander appears kind and welcoming but remains authoritative and guarded. He is also revealed to be an experienced leader and the descendant of the human who once controlled a Devouring Serpent.
• The commander’s imprisoned father is introduced as a dangerous, tragic figure whose madness may be connected to his former control over the Devouring Serpent.

Significant Themes

• Determination versus conventional wisdom: Everyone believes Li’s goal is impossible, but he insists that impossibility should be challenged rather than accepted.
• Courage and recklessness: Li’s bravery inspires admiration but also causes others to see him as naïve or suicidal.
• Humanity’s struggle for survival: The outpost serves as a refuge while Demons investigate the Deep Sea, emphasizing the danger facing humans.
• Science, medicine, and experimentation: Li views the imprisoned elder as a medical problem he may be able to solve, while the commander’s research facility reveals humanity’s attempts to understand and manipulate elemental life.
• The cost of power: The former Devouring Serpent controller’s madness and violent behavior suggest that contact with such ancient forces can have devastating consequences.
• Trust and protection: Zhu Ya’s defense of Li contrasts with Yasu’s suspicion, showing how personal loyalty can challenge rigid security rules.

Character Interactions

• Yasu confronts Li while Zhu Ya argues that he is trustworthy.
• Zhu Ya directly challenges Yasu by offering herself for inspection and physically placing herself between him and Li.
• The commander reassures Li but attempts to dissuade him from pursuing the Devouring Serpent.
• Li presses the commander for information and persuades him to grant access to the imprisoned elder.
• Zhu Ya repeatedly warns Li against the plan, while Li insists on taking responsibility for the danger himself.
• The chapter ends with Li entering the outpost’s Elemental Embryo research facility, where he begins to assess the commander and the outpost’s experiments with a critical, surgeon-like eye.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Far Too Backward”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran visits a Human Race research outpost and examines glass cases containing grotesque “Elemental Embryos”—living embryos implanted with organs, tubes, and Element Stones.
• The researchers believe these embryos are revolutionary weapons because they grant elemental abilities from birth, potentially replacing years of Mage training.
• Zhu Ya argues that the embryos have caused enormous destruction, including the annihilation of a tenth of the Elf Rainforest and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Elves. She blames their inventor for escalating the war between Humans and Demons.
• Li Ziran rejects the idea that the embryos themselves are evil, comparing them to natural weapons such as a tiger’s fangs. He argues that every race develops tools to survive and improve its chances of living.
• The old researcher reveals that the outpost has discovered a weakness in the embryos: a Dispersal Spell can destroy the unstable souls inside them.
• Li Ziran explains that this only works on outdated models. Upper-Demon embryos possess Soul Protection Arrays, while newer embryos naturally develop their own elemental organs instead of relying on crude transplantation.
• He reveals that the outpost’s supposedly advanced specimens are merely First-Generation embryos, while better versions are cheaply available on Sulfur Island, where a mature embryo industry already exists.
• Realizing how far behind they are, the old researcher asks Li Ziran to share his knowledge and help prepare for an audience with his father, the powerful being Li Ziran actually came to meet.
• After Li Ziran’s report, the outpost contacts the Human Federation. Officials discover that Sulfur Island has appraisal centers, research institutes, auctions, and trade publications devoted to embryos.
• Furious at being technologically outclassed, the highest Human leader orders Sulfur Island to be brought under Human control.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Demonstrates his superior knowledge of Elemental Embryos and remains calm, dismissive, and confident when confronted by the researchers’ assumptions. He also reveals a practical, morally detached worldview: technologies are not inherently evil merely because they can cause destruction.
• Zhu Ya: Is shown as passionate and morally outraged by the embryos’ destructive consequences. Her anger toward Li Ziran grows because he refuses to condemn their creator and repeatedly exposes her limited understanding.
• The old researcher: Begins as a proud expert displaying what he believes is groundbreaking research. He gradually becomes embarrassed and humbled when Li Ziran identifies his work as obsolete, but quickly turns enthusiastic and eager to learn from him.
• Human leadership: The Federation’s leaders are portrayed as isolated and reactive. Their shock at Sulfur Island’s technological advancement shifts their response from observation to aggressive plans for annexation.

Significant Themes

• Technological progress and moral responsibility: The chapter questions whether a technology is evil because it is used in war, or whether blame belongs to those who wield it.
• Knowledge versus isolation: The outpost believes it is conducting cutting-edge research, but its lack of contact with the wider world leaves it decades behind.
• Perspective and prejudice: Humans view the embryos as terrifying Demon weapons, while Li Ziran sees them as ordinary, commercially available technology.
• Survival and ethics: Li Ziran frames scientific advancement as a natural survival strategy, contrasting with Zhu Ya’s concern for the devastation it causes.
• Power imbalance: The Human Race’s confidence collapses when it learns that its prized discoveries are obsolete commodities elsewhere.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya engage in a heated argument over whether the embryos are inherently responsible for the war and its casualties. Their exchange highlights the conflict between moral condemnation and pragmatic reasoning.
• The old researcher mediates their quarrel, then questions Li Ziran about his knowledge. His admiration turns into embarrassment when Li Ziran reveals the embryos’ weaknesses and outdated design.
• Zhu Ya repeatedly challenges Li Ziran, accusing him of sophistry and deception, while Li Ziran responds with patience and condescension.
• The old researcher eventually treats Li Ziran as an expert, asking him to teach the outpost and help him prepare for the meeting with his father.
• The chapter ends by expanding the conflict from a local disagreement to a strategic crisis, as Human leadership decides to seize Sulfur Island.

Chapter Summary: Li Ziran, Dead for Good

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Deep Sea is placed under intense search after Li Ziran disappears. Jones has spent three days desperately looking for him, even publicizing more information to obtain clues.
• Meanwhile, Li Ziran is at the lowest level of Red Sun Outpost, preparing to enter Blue Lake, a secret space containing the legendary Devouring Serpent.
• His goal is to deliver dolphins to Hubble, Zhu Ya’s great-grandfather, who once served the Demon Monarch and later withdrew into Blue Lake.
• Li Ziran reviews survival techniques taught by Harley, checks his Void Spirit World and special organs, and prepares carefully for the dangerous mission.
• Zhu Ya warns him not to approach Hubble and explains that food couriers are frequently killed. However, she forgets to tell him that he must not appear in his Deep-Sea Octopus Frog form.
• Once inside Blue Lake, Li Ziran discovers that its water contains pure Water Elements capable of sustaining his Void Spirit World. He reaches the center and releases the dolphins.
• Hubble begins hunting the dolphins at extraordinary speed, killing them one by one in bloody explosions while seemingly enjoying the chase.
• Realizing the danger, Li Ziran tries to retreat. Zhu Ya arrives and warns him not to move, but he turns and sees the Devouring Serpent directly behind him.
• His Blinding Eye and Purification Flame fail to stop the serpent. He is dragged into its mouth, dissolved almost instantly, and reduced to scraps of bone. Zhu Ya’s desperate attempt to save him fails.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates caution, preparation, and confidence in his survival abilities, but his curiosity and willingness to take risks ultimately lead to his death.
• He continues acting as a mentor to Harley, encouraging him to experiment with questionable Embryo theories despite privately recognizing their flaws.
• Zhu Ya shows genuine concern for Li Ziran and tries to protect him. Her mistake in failing to mention the Frog form’s danger contributes to the tragedy, and she is devastated when he dies.
• Harley respects Li Ziran as a teacher and has shared valuable survival knowledge with him.
• Hubble is portrayed as an almost incomprehensibly powerful and predatory figure. His behavior toward the dolphins suggests both immense strength and a cruel, playful hunting instinct.
• Jones’ frantic search emphasizes how important Li Ziran has become to the wider Deep Sea.

Significant Themes

• The limits of preparation: Li Ziran carefully studies the environment and prepares every survival technique, yet preparation cannot overcome the overwhelming power of the Devouring Serpent.
• Curiosity and recklessness: His desire to investigate Hubble and the unusual Blue Lake leads him into a lethal situation.
• Predatory power and helplessness: The dolphins and Li Ziran are reduced to prey in Hubble’s domain, emphasizing the vast gap between human abilities and ancient monsters.
• The danger of incomplete knowledge: Li Ziran’s lack of information about Hubble and Zhu Ya’s forgotten warning directly contributes to his fatal mistake.
• Loss and uncertainty: The chapter’s conclusion presents Li Ziran as truly dead, creating a major emotional and narrative turning point.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran responds patiently to Harley’s Embryo questions, maintaining his role as a supportive but unofficial teacher.
• Zhu Ya repeatedly urges Li Ziran to abandon the mission, but he reassures her that he understands his own limits.
• Their final interaction is tragic: Zhu Ya warns him too late, then desperately tries to rescue him from Hubble.
• Li Ziran never directly communicates with Hubble; instead, he becomes another target in the serpent’s hunt.

Chapter Summary: “Trying to Get Close to Great-Grandfather”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Ya visits the azure Blue Lake and witnesses her grandfather, the Devouring Serpent Hubble, consuming a human. She recognizes the victim as Li Ziran, the strange man who previously helped her escape the Demons.
• After Hubble disappears, Li Ziran’s remains unexpectedly regenerate. Golden radiance reconstructs his bones, organs, flesh, and body, revealing that he possesses the exceptionally rare Resurrection Spell.
• Li Ziran initially reforms as a human but quickly transforms into a crude water snake after realizing that snake-like forms are safer within Blue Lake. He imitates Zhu Ya’s movements and follows her out of the lake.
• Zhu Ya questions Li Ziran about his connection to the ancient human powers, but he ignores her questions and instead asks about the dolphins fed to Hubble. He has learned through Void Spirit that the lake is actually a space formed from the collapsed body of the enormous Hubble Serpent.
• Believing toxins or curses might affect Hubble, Li Ziran secretly poisons dolphins and feeds them to the serpent. However, Hubble consumes them without suffering any visible harm. Zhu Ya reveals that she noticed his schemes and explains that her grandfather is effectively immune to poison and curses.
• Over nine days, Li Ziran repeatedly delivers food to Hubble. Although he learns to survive and Hubble begins recognizing his scent, he remains unable to discover any weakness in the serpent.
• With the Devouring Serpent’s egg-laying ceremony only ten days away, Li Ziran grows increasingly desperate. He returns to Dolphin Bay, studies the different dolphin breeds, and begins tasting their flesh himself to identify the particular qualities or elemental composition that may attract Hubble to certain dolphins.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Demonstrates extraordinary survival instincts, intelligence, and adaptability. He resurrects through an unknown mastery of the Resurrection Spell, learns Snake Transformation almost immediately, and analyzes Hubble scientifically through Void Spirit. His initial plans involving poison and curses fail, forcing him to develop a subtler approach based on understanding Hubble’s preferences.
• Zhu Ya: Moves from disappointment at losing Li Ziran to surprise and amusement when he resurrects. She becomes increasingly curious about his origins and abilities, while also showing compassion by helping him escape Blue Lake instead of allowing Hubble to eat him again. Her teasing and watchful attitude suggest growing interest in him.
• Hubble/the Devouring Serpent: Remains largely unseen but is established as a colossal, ancient creature whose body forms the surrounding space. It easily devours dolphins, humans, and powerful toxins, functioning as an almost invulnerable force of nature.

Significant Themes

• Survival through adaptation: Li Ziran survives by observing his environment, copying Zhu Ya’s snake form, and adjusting his methods when direct attacks fail.
• The limits of conventional thinking: Hubble is too powerful to be approached like an ordinary creature. Li Ziran realizes he must understand the serpent as an entire living ecosystem rather than merely confront it.
• Hidden power and transformation: Li Ziran’s resurrection and transformation abilities reveal that his capabilities are far beyond what Zhu Ya initially understands.
• Persistence amid failure: Poison, curses, and repeated deductions all fail, but Li Ziran continues searching for a new solution instead of surrendering.
• Predation and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the brutal food chain surrounding Hubble, where talented beings who seek its power usually become prey.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Ya observes Hubble devouring Li Ziran and later witnesses his miraculous resurrection.
• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya silently compete and cooperate as he imitates her snake form and she deliberately guides him safely out of Blue Lake.
• Zhu Ya questions Li Ziran about his origins, but he dismisses her curiosity in favor of investigating Hubble.
• She later catches him poisoning dolphins and mocks the ineffectiveness of his methods, while he ignores her and continues relying on Void Spirit.
• Their relationship develops through a mixture of suspicion, teasing, reluctant assistance, and mutual curiosity.

Chapter Summary: “Delicious Dolphins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran investigates which dolphins are most appealing to the mysterious entity controlling the Devouring Serpent. Using his Three-Headed Dog tongue, he tastes dolphin meat and identifies differences in their Rare and Trace Elements.
• On repeated feeding trips into Blue Lake, he records which dolphin is devoured first. He discovers that the first dolphin always contains nonavalent Luo Element, a rare Trace Element associated with water’s transparency.
• Li Ziran tests his theory over seventeen releases, achieving fifteen first-place predictions. Convinced that nonavalent Luo attracts the lake’s ruler, he begins selectively breeding dolphins with high concentrations of it.
• He asks Zhu Ya for a Time Accelerator and uses it to rapidly produce and examine dolphin Embryos. Through repeated breeding and selection, he creates a dolphin containing thirty-two times the original amount of Luo Element.
• When this enhanced dolphin is offered to the entity, it is instantly consumed. Li Ziran then repeatedly feeds batches of specially cultivated dolphins, causing the entity to lose interest in ordinary dolphins. Some normal dolphins survive—an unprecedented event at Red Sun Outpost.
• Zhu Ya investigates but cannot detect any physical difference between the special dolphins and ordinary ones. Her inability to perceive the elemental distinction highlights Li Ziran’s unusual method and knowledge.
• The chapter ends when Harley arrives, warning that the outpost is shaking. He suspects an abnormal event is occurring at the center of the Derivative Space. Zhu Ya reports that Li Ziran’s cultivated dolphins seem particularly favored by their “Great-Grandfather.”

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes increasingly obsessive and unconventional. He willingly risks being devoured by repeatedly entering Blue Lake, prioritizing his research over personal safety.
• His refined appearance deteriorates as he devotes himself entirely to eating raw dolphin meat, collecting data, breeding dolphins, and experimenting. Despite appearing disheveled, his analysis becomes increasingly precise and successful.
• Li Ziran demonstrates strong scientific reasoning: he gathers data, identifies a pattern, tests it repeatedly, and then manipulates the dolphins’ elemental composition to strengthen the result.
• Zhu Ya shifts from amused curiosity to serious concern. Initially she thinks Li Ziran is irrational or seeking her grandfather’s approval, but she gradually realizes that his experiments are producing an unprecedented effect.
• Zhu Ya’s own expertise proves insufficient to explain Li Ziran’s success. Although she understands Embryo cultivation, she cannot identify the elemental difference that determines the entity’s preference.
• Harley recognizes that Li Ziran’s actions may have disturbed the entire space and reacts with alarm, suggesting that the experiment has consequences beyond feeding.

Significant Themes

• Scientific experimentation and empirical discovery: Li Ziran succeeds through observation, controlled trials, data collection, and repeated verification.
• Hidden differences beneath appearances: The specially favored dolphins look identical to ordinary ones, but their elemental composition makes them fundamentally different.
• Obsession and sacrifice: Li Ziran’s willingness to eat raw meat, endure disgust, and repeatedly risk death shows how far he will go to solve the mystery.
• Control through knowledge: Rather than merely feeding the mysterious entity, Li Ziran learns its preferences and begins shaping its behavior by controlling the food supply.
• Unintended consequences: His success may have destabilized the Derivative Space, suggesting that manipulating the entity’s diet or elemental environment could trigger dangerous changes.
• Limits of conventional understanding: Zhu Ya’s established knowledge cannot explain Li Ziran’s results, emphasizing his innovative approach to Elements and Embryos.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya develop an unusual dynamic centered on curiosity and experimentation. Zhu Ya observes him closely, alternately finding his behavior ridiculous, disgusting, and increasingly alarming.
• Zhu Ya grants Li Ziran access to a Time Accelerator and insists on observing his experiment. He agrees openly, indicating confidence in his methods and perhaps a desire for her to witness the results.
• During the breeding experiment, Zhu Ya is repulsed by Li Ziran tasting amniotic fluid and remains unable to understand what he is looking for.
• Zhu Ya follows Li Ziran into Blue Lake and observes the strange survival of ordinary dolphins, eventually realizing that his selectively bred dolphins are being consumed first.
• Harley interrupts Zhu Ya’s investigation with news of the shaking outpost, creating a sense of urgency and confirming that Li Ziran’s experiment may have awakened or disturbed something powerful.

Chapter Summary: “The Only Way to Contact the Devouring Serpent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Harley learns that Li Ziran may have disturbed Hubble, the ancient entity imprisoned beneath Red Sun Outpost. The disturbance causes Red Sun Volcano to erupt violently, threatening to expose the outpost to dangerous sea demons and beasts.
• Zhu Ya explains Li Ziran’s strange activities in Dolphin Bay, including his repeated visits to Blue Lake and his experiments with dolphins.
• Harley investigates and discovers that Li Ziran has divided the dolphins into numbered pools and is conducting embryonic experiments. Li cuts open a pregnant dolphin, studies its embryo, tastes its amniotic fluid, and mixes samples back into the developing embryo.
• Although Harley detects no unusual elemental changes in the dolphins, he becomes convinced that Li’s work has some hidden purpose. When Harley tastes the amniotic fluid himself, he is overwhelmed by its terrible flavor and vomits.
• Li leaves to feed the dolphins, and the vibrations shaking Red Sun Outpost suddenly stop. Harley realizes that Li’s dolphin-feeding may be calming Hubble.
• Harley and Zhu Ya rush to Blue Lake, where they perceive Hubble’s enormous serpent form. For the first time in decades, Hubble appears completely relaxed and has lowered his defenses.
• Harley concludes that Li’s altered dolphins are responsible for Hubble’s peaceful state. However, Li cannot directly communicate with Hubble.
• Harley sends Zhu Ya into the lake in her black-snake form to act as a translator. Through her bloodline connection, she communicates with Hubble and relays Li’s desire to contact the Devouring Serpent.
• Hubble reveals that there is only one way to contact the Devouring Serpent: Li Ziran must become another Devouring Serpent.

Character Developments

• Harley: Initially skeptical that Li could affect Hubble, Harley becomes increasingly alarmed and curious. His investigation shifts into admiration and astonishment when he realizes Li has achieved what decades of careful control could not: calming Hubble completely.
• Li Ziran: Remains focused, secretive, and scientifically driven. His seemingly pointless dolphin experiments are revealed to have a major effect on Hubble, though Li himself does not yet understand the full significance of his work.
• Zhu Ya: Acts as Harley’s assistant and observer, but becomes crucial when she serves as the only possible intermediary between Li and Hubble. Her transformation into a black snake allows her to communicate with their ancestor.
• Hubble: Previously volatile and tightly guarded, Hubble becomes calm and relaxed after consuming Li’s altered dolphins. His response suggests that Li’s experiments have touched something fundamental within him.

Significant Themes

• Communication and translation: The central obstacle is not reaching Hubble physically, but finding a way for Li to communicate with an entity beyond ordinary language and perception.
• Hidden significance in seemingly ordinary things: Li’s dolphins appear biologically normal and show no elemental abnormalities, yet they produce an extraordinary effect on Hubble.
• Scientific curiosity and experimentation: Li’s work combines anatomy, embryology, and an unorthodox form of biological experimentation, showing how unconventional research can produce unprecedented results.
• Transformation and identity: The proposed solution—becoming another Devouring Serpent—suggests that true communication may require changing one’s nature rather than merely learning a language.
• Power restrained and released: Hubble’s decades-long suppression of his power contrasts with the eruption of the volcano and his eventual relaxation, emphasizing the danger and importance of his emotional state.

Character Interactions

• Harley questions Zhu Ya about Li’s behavior and brings her to Dolphin Bay.
• Harley silently observes Li’s experiment, then pretends to be casually interested in the dolphins.
• After Li leaves, Harley investigates the dolphin himself and humorously suffers from tasting the amniotic fluid.
• Harley and Zhu Ya recognize together that Li’s feeding has calmed Hubble and race to Blue Lake.
• Harley instructs Zhu Ya to enter the lake and communicate with Hubble on Li’s behalf.
• Zhu Ya relays Hubble’s message to Li: the only way to contact the Devouring Serpent is to become one.

Chapter Summary: “Transformation Spell · Black Viper”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran realizes that Hubble, the ancient Devouring Serpent, is communicating through the consciousness he has sensed since feeding the special dolphins.
• He concludes that the only way to approach or communicate with the Devouring Serpent is to transform into one himself.
• Through Zhu Ya, Hubble agrees to teach Li Ziran and Zhu Ya transformation techniques in exchange for a continued supply of dolphins.
• Hubble begins with the most basic form: the Black Viper, considered the origin or simplest form of the Devouring Serpent.
• Li Ziran effortlessly copies the transformation array, but Hubble repeatedly declares his results incorrect. Despite Li’s precise array construction and repeated attempts—including the use of the Void Spirit—his transformations fail to meet Hubble’s requirements.
• Hubble identifies increasingly specific flaws, such as Li’s missing belly bumps, improperly shaped head and mouth, and the absence of three black spots on his tail.
• Frustrated, Li realizes that ordinary array-based transformation may be fundamentally insufficient. He experiments with altering the spell and relying on “Nothingness” and instinctive feeling, but the experiments cause his tail to explode and lead to further failures.
• After 372 unsuccessful transformations, Li becomes discouraged and longs for the comfort of his former teacher, Watt.
• Zhu Ya and her grandfather Harley discuss how to help him. Harley reveals that the dolphins contain an astonishing concentration of Nine-Valent Luo and that he has reported this discovery to the Human Alliance.
• Harley urges Zhu Ya to assist Li, reminding her that even a genius can be inexperienced in another field and that helping him may benefit humanity.
• Zhu Ya approaches the dejected Li and encourages him to stop brooding and practice with her.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Begins confident in his mastery of Transformation Spells, believing perfect array construction will guarantee success. His repeated failures humble and frustrate him, forcing him to confront a method that cannot be solved through precision and logic alone. He starts recognizing the importance of intuition, “feeling,” and abandoning rigid reliance on arrays.
• Zhu Ya: Initially acts as translator and fellow student, but gradually becomes more emotionally attentive toward Li. She notices his distress and, encouraged by Harley, decides to offer direct companionship and support.
• Harley: Demonstrates wisdom and concern for both Li and humanity. He recognizes Li’s extraordinary abilities and the potential importance of the dolphins’ rare elements, encouraging Zhu Ya to help rather than leave Li to struggle alone.
• Hubble/Devouring Serpent: Remains mysterious and largely unseen, communicating only through Zhu Ya. His exacting standards suggest that true transformation requires more than external form—it may demand an internal or instinctive connection to the species.

Significant Themes

• Limits of logic and technical mastery: Li’s flawless arrays repeatedly fail, showing that some forms of power cannot be achieved through calculation and precision alone.
• Persistence in the face of failure: Despite hundreds of failed attempts, Li refuses to abandon his goal of contacting the Devouring Serpent.
• Humility and self-discovery: Li must accept that expertise in one discipline does not guarantee mastery elsewhere.
• Support and companionship: Zhu Ya’s decision to practice beside Li emphasizes the importance of emotional support when intelligence and determination are insufficient.
• Humanity’s hidden potential: The dolphins’ extraordinary Nine-Valent Luo content hints at Li’s unusual abilities and possibly connects him to larger conflicts involving the Human Race and the Demon Bounty Order.

Character Interactions

• Li repeatedly consults Zhu Ya, who conveys Hubble’s judgments and attempts to calm his anger.
• Hubble indirectly guides Li but offers no explanations, forcing him to discover the secret of transformation independently.
• Zhu Ya and Harley discuss Li’s failures and his potential significance to humanity. Harley entrusts Zhu Ya with helping him.
• The chapter ends with Zhu Ya joining Li in the lake, shifting their relationship from teacher-and-translator to companions facing the challenge together.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran struggles with pride after realizing that his Transformation Spells are not as advanced as he believed. His repeated attempts to transform into a Black Viper fail, producing malformed and unusable results.
• Zhu Ya encourages him rather than rejecting his failures. She demonstrates the Black Viper transformation repeatedly, allowing Li Ziran and the Void Spirit World to study every detail.
• Li Ziran’s Void Spirit World analyzes his failed transformations for years, with countless Void Spirits identifying errors. However, his attempts to construct the Transformation Array through logic, fixed nodes, runes, and structure all end in rejection.
• Zhu Ya uses Soul Weaving to guide him. By relinquishing control and allowing the transformation to arise through instinct and sensation, Li Ziran successfully becomes a perfect Black Viper.
• He realizes that the true basis of the transformation is not rigid array construction but an elusive sense of natural “feeling.” When he stops consciously controlling his spiritual power, it flows freely and forms a functional but chaotic Transformation Array.
• Seeking to test this insight, Li Ziran leaves Blue Lake and applies the same method to his strongest spell, Frog Transformation. His spiritual power naturally creates an irregular array, and his soul undergoes a mutation.
• He enters the Metamorphosis Realm, apparently reaching the level associated with a Title Mage. He can now transform objects effortlessly, turning a stone into a frog.
• Confident that he has finally understood the principle of transformation, Li Ziran tells Zhu Ya that he has “got the feeling” and is ready to continue learning.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran moves from arrogance and frustration toward humility and openness. His failures force him to recognize the limits of relying solely on analysis, structure, and control.
• He learns to trust instinct, surrender conscious control, and allow spiritual power to follow its natural course.
• His breakthrough with Frog Transformation causes a mutation in his soul, integrating the spell into his very nature and marking a major advancement in his magical cultivation.
• Zhu Ya demonstrates patience, empathy, and effective teaching. Rather than criticizing Li Ziran’s failures, she guides him through experience and Soul Weaving, helping him discover the correct state of mind.
• The surrounding Mages, especially Harley, react with shock and awe when they witness Li Ziran’s transformed state and apparent breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Humility and growth: Li Ziran’s pride becomes an obstacle, and genuine progress begins only when he accepts his shortcomings.
• Instinct versus rigid logic: Transformation cannot be mastered through formulas and fixed magical structures alone; it requires intuition, spontaneity, and harmony with natural energy.
• Failure as a path to mastery: Each rejected attempt exposes another flaw and ultimately leads Li Ziran closer to understanding.
• Integration of magic and identity: Frog Transformation becomes part of Li Ziran’s soul rather than merely a technique he performs, symbolizing a deeper level of mastery.
• Teacher and student connection: Zhu Ya’s demonstrations and Soul Weaving show that knowledge can be transmitted through shared sensation and spiritual connection, not just verbal instruction.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Ya closely observes Li Ziran’s failed attempts and deliberately demonstrates her transformation slowly so he can learn.
• She reassures him after his worst failure, helping him regain composure and humility.
• Through Soul Weaving, Zhu Ya directly guides Li Ziran’s soul and enables him to experience the correct transformation process.
• Li Ziran asks Zhu Ya for permission to leave the lake and test his new insight. Although puzzled, she supports him and arranges a brief break.
• After witnessing his breakthrough, Zhu Ya and the gathered Mages respond with surprise and respect. Li Ziran ends the chapter by confidently asking to continue his training.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya continue the advanced stages of the Snake Transformation, progressing from Black Vipers toward the ultimate Devouring Serpent form.
• Having reached the Black Mamba stage—the thirteenth transformation—they must begin consuming enormous quantities of food to increase their body weight. A true Devouring Serpent must weigh roughly 300,000 pounds.
• With help from Hubble and the resources of Red Sun Outpost, Li Ziran begins eating captive dolphins. Because Zhu Ya cannot tolerate the raw meat, Li Ziran digests the dolphins and transfers the partially processed remains to her.
• Li Ziran’s body grows rapidly, increasing sevenfold in one day, while Zhu Ya struggles with nausea and falls behind in physical development. Li Ziran eventually orders them to eat three dolphins per meal, ten meals a day.
• By the eighteenth day, Li Ziran can directly sense Hubble’s instructions. Zhu Ya continues teaching him the Transformation Arrays, while Hubble explains the later stages of the transformation.
• Li Ziran advances to the Deep-Sea Python stage, the thirty-third transformation. From this point onward, he no longer needs to learn new spells; sufficient weight will naturally propel him toward the Devouring Serpent transformation.
• Dolphins are no longer enough, so Li Ziran and Zhu Ya descend into the Deep Sea to hunt whales, jellyfish, sea monsters, and other large creatures. A humpback whale adds 10,000 pounds to Li Ziran’s weight.
• Li Ziran initially fails to hunt a jellyfish colony after being caught in its electric defenses. He and Zhu Ya gradually improve by working together: Zhu Ya drives prey toward him while he delivers the final attack.
• After eating several whales, Li Ziran reaches the limit of the Deep-Sea Python stage. Hubble then instructs him to begin transforming into a Devouring Serpent despite his still-insufficient weight.
• Hubble reveals that Li Ziran must swallow lava to accelerate his growth. Li Ziran cautiously tastes lava from Red Sun Volcano and discovers that it contains extraordinarily rich elements.

Character Development

• Li Ziran becomes increasingly snake-like in body, instincts, and abilities. His digestion, appetite, hunting senses, and transformation skills develop rapidly.
• He demonstrates determination and adaptability, accepting Zhu Ya’s help and repeatedly modifying their organs to cope with the demands of eating and transformation.
• Li Ziran’s hunting ability begins poorly, as shown by his failure to catch the jellyfish, but he learns through repeated attempts and cooperation with Zhu Ya.
• Zhu Ya remains essential to Li Ziran’s progress, guiding his Transformation Arrays and helping him advance through each stage. However, she suffers severe psychological nausea from consuming raw sea creatures and struggles to keep pace with him.
• Zhu Ya’s role shifts from translator and instructor to active hunting partner. Together, she and Li Ziran develop coordinated predation techniques.
• Hubble becomes more directly involved as Li Ziran’s transformation progresses. His immense spiritual pressure and expertise reinforce his status as a powerful, mysterious superior being, though his true identity remains uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Transformation through sacrifice and endurance: Advancement requires Li Ziran and Zhu Ya to endure physical discomfort, extreme hunger, and psychological strain.
• Time and survival pressure: The Abyssal Serpent’s short gestation period leaves Li Ziran with little time to reach the Devouring Serpent stage, forcing increasingly desperate methods.
• Adaptation and evolution: Li Ziran acquires new organs, instincts, and hunting methods as each transformation demands greater specialization.
• Cooperation over individual strength: Li Ziran cannot progress efficiently alone. Zhu Ya’s guidance and hunting support are crucial, even though their physical development differs.
• Mystery and power: Hubble’s overwhelming presence, unexplained nature, and knowledge of the transformation spell create uncertainty about his origins and abilities.
• The Deep Sea as both danger and abundance: The volcanic environment supports enormous ecosystems, providing the food and elemental energy needed for evolution while presenting hazards such as electric jellyfish and dangerous prey.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran relies heavily on Zhu Ya for transformation instruction and organ modification, while Zhu Ya depends on him to digest food she cannot stomach.
• Zhu Ya translates Hubble’s teachings until Li Ziran becomes capable of sensing Hubble directly.
• Hubble alternates between teaching and competing with Li Ziran for food, often rushing in to seize dolphins before Li Ziran can eat them.
• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya develop a practical partnership in hunting: Zhu Ya distracts and redirects prey, and Li Ziran attacks and consumes it.
• Hubble’s final instruction—to swallow lava—pushes Li Ziran beyond ordinary predation and toward the true Devouring Serpent transformation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran continues transforming into a colossal Deep-Sea Python, having grown enormously in only thirteen days. His appetite has increased alongside his size.
• He credits Hubble’s superior understanding of the Devouring Serpent Transformation and recognizes that his current form is built upon the original Black Viper Transformation.
• Following Hubble’s advice, Li discovers that volcanic magma provides a nearly inexhaustible source of elemental energy, allowing him to gain weight without hunting whales.
• Li attempts to break into Red Sun Volcano so he can consume its magma directly. However, the volcano is the elemental power source for Red Sun Outpost, making his actions a direct threat to the outpost.
• Zhu Ya and Harley oppose him. Zhu Ya tries to mediate, while Harley prepares to use the outpost’s powerful Dispersal Spell against him.
• The Dispersal Spell begins affecting the surrounding sea, stripping nearby fish of their souls and causing them to behave irrationally. Realizing the danger and unwilling to destroy Harley’s base, Li gives up and returns to human form.
• Harley orders Li to leave Red Sun Outpost, believing Li has already learned everything necessary about the transformation and should gather elements elsewhere.
• Li accepts the expulsion, though he remains disappointed that Hubble will not be able to witness or advise him on his eventual Devouring Serpent form.
• Just as Li prepares to depart in his robot, Red Sun Outpost begins violently shaking. The space itself destabilizes, the plaza tilts, and cracks reveal the Void Expanse. Harley becomes alarmed, and Li decides to investigate rather than abandon the outpost immediately.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Becomes increasingly powerful, confident, and physically transformed, but retains his judgment and gratitude. Although desperate to obtain enough weight for the Devouring Serpent Transformation, he refuses to destroy Red Sun Outpost and remains willing to help others.
• Hubble: Though absent, his influence is central. Li deeply respects his expertise and follows his advice regarding magma and transformation.
• Zhu Ya: Shows growing affection and concern for Li. Torn between Li and her grandfather, she attempts to prevent a confrontation and warns Li about Hubble’s questionable influence.
• Harley: Shifts from a helpful ally to a strict defender of Red Sun Outpost. He is prepared to use the Dispersal Spell but ultimately asks Li to leave rather than allow the volcano to be consumed.
• Baron: Remains loyal and practical, preparing Li’s robot and loading its Element Stones before departure.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Li possesses enough strength to threaten the outpost, but chooses not to abuse it.
• Loyalty and friendship: Li values Harley’s past help and refuses to destroy the outpost despite their conflict.
• Transformation and sacrifice: Becoming a Devouring Serpent requires enormous resources and forces Li to sacrifice his place at the outpost.
• Humanity amid monstrous change: Although Li has become a gigantic serpent, his willingness to help and concern for others show that he has not abandoned his human morality.
• Trust and influence: Li trusts Hubble because of his strength and knowledge, while Zhu Ya and Harley question Hubble’s motives and judgment.
• Unstable alliances: Cooperation between Li and the outpost breaks down over their conflicting needs, but the sudden crisis may force them to work together again.

Character Interactions

• Li and Zhu Ya argue over his plan to consume the volcano. She appeals to his reason and affection, while he insists that he has too little time to search for another source.
• Li attempts to negotiate with Harley by offering compensation and magical or experimental knowledge, but Harley firmly refuses.
• Harley accuses Li of having a responsibility to humanity, reminding him that he is still human despite his transformations.
• Li accepts Harley’s decision and leaves without hostility, preserving their friendship.
• At the chapter’s end, Li chooses to investigate the outpost’s collapse, suggesting that his relationship with Harley and Zhu Ya may not be over.

Chapter Summary: “Give Me Half the Magma”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Sun Outpost begins collapsing, with the space cracking and exposing the Spatial Wall. Li Ziran suspects the disturbance may have alerted the Demon.
• Zhu Ya reveals that her grandfather, Hubble, has gone mad, likely because the Dispersal Spell weakened the energy sustaining his confinement.
• Li Ziran follows Harley into a hidden control chamber and discovers that a gigantic serpent-like soul is sealed within Blue Lake. Harley is desperately trying to maintain the failing Sealing Spell through an old, malfunctioning control panel.
• Harley explains that the serpent is Hubble, whose body has disintegrated over decades of imprisonment. His soul has merged with the lakewater, leaving only a strange, enormous aquatic form.
• Hubble was once a human transformed by magic, but he came to believe himself a Devouring Serpent and sought to reproduce with the true serpent species. During World War II, he slaughtered human forces and became known as the “Calamity of Destruction.”
• Li Ziran offers to repair the Sealing Spell in exchange for magma. After bargaining, Harley agrees to give him one-quarter of the magma rather than the half Li initially demands.
• Li Ziran enters Blue Lake in his Deep-Sea Python form and reconstructs the Sealing Spell using his knowledge from the Inquisition. He links the seal to his own spiritual power and temporarily restrains Hubble.
• Hubble attacks by biting and coiling around Li Ziran, while Li Ziran retaliates with his tail. The battle ends this section with Hubble using the powerful python technique “Snake Coil.”

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates increasing confidence in his magical abilities, particularly his mastery of the Sealing and Redemption Spells. He also shows his characteristic pragmatism by negotiating payment even during a crisis, though he ultimately accepts less magma out of consideration for Zhu Ya.
• Hubble is revealed to be far more dangerous and psychologically unstable than his earlier kindness suggested. His obsession with being a Devouring Serpent has completely distorted his identity and led to mass violence.
• Harley is shown as desperate and burdened by guilt. He has spent decades sealing his own father and fears both Hubble’s escape and the consequences of his earlier actions against Li Ziran.
• Zhu Ya struggles to reconcile the loving grandfather she remembers with Hubble’s violent history and current madness. Her concern for both Hubble and Red Sun Outpost becomes clear.

Significant Themes

• Identity versus appearance: The Transformation Spell can alter the body or “shell,” but Li Ziran reflects that it cannot truly change the soul. Hubble’s belief that he is a Devouring Serpent represents a destructive rejection of his original identity.
• The cost of containment: Hubble’s decades-long sealing has preserved a fragment of his humanity but has also caused his body to decay and the seal itself to deteriorate.
• Power and responsibility: Li Ziran’s magical skill gives him the ability to save the outpost, but he uses that power commercially, demanding magma in return.
• Family and moral conflict: Harley’s decision to seal his father reflects the painful choice between familial loyalty and protecting humanity.
• Decline and impermanence: The aging control room, failing keys, collapsing space, and worn-down Sealing Spell all emphasize that even powerful systems eventually deteriorate.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran questions Zhu Ya about the crisis and then confronts Harley for an explanation.
• Harley and Li Ziran clash over Hubble’s nature, with Harley describing him as a genocidal monster while Li Ziran recalls his apparent kindness.
• Zhu Ya challenges Harley’s account, unable to accept that her grandfather could truly be inhuman.
• Li Ziran and Harley negotiate over the magma, establishing a transactional alliance: Li Ziran will repair the seal, and Harley will provide part of the magma.
• Once inside Blue Lake, Li Ziran directly confronts Hubble, restraining him with magic while resisting his attacks.

Summary of “Biting Hubble’s Tongue”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Harley and Zhu Ya watch Li Ziran confront the phantom of the Devouring Serpent within Blue Lake. Harley recognizes the serpent’s patterns as the long-sought Sealing Spell and realizes Li may be able to eliminate Hubble’s threat permanently.
• Zhu Ya tries to rush to Li’s aid when the lake water constricts him, but Harley stops her. He explains that interfering would only prevent Li from completing the trial and that Hubble’s true power cannot be defeated through outside assistance.
• Li discovers that Blue Lake is actually Hubble’s body or vessel. His Sealing Spell begins to take shape, pinning Hubble in place and weakening the lake’s constriction.
• Just as Li escapes the initial binding, Hubble attacks with the Devouring Curse, manifesting a gigantic serpent mouth that attempts to swallow Li’s soul.
• Li notices a faint cross-shaped mark beneath the serpent’s tongue—the surviving core of the original Sealing Spell. He deliberately enters the serpent’s mouth to connect with it, despite the risk of being devoured.
• The connection reveals that the Sealing Spell once formed a world-spanning array, though it is now severely damaged and decayed. Even in its ruined state, it still has enough power to imprison Hubble.
• Hubble’s violent will overwhelms Li and constricts his throat. To escape, Li transforms into a frog-like form, exploiting the serpent’s instinctive attraction to frogs and slipping through its coils.
• He then uses himself as bait. Hubble eventually manifests and swallows the frog form, seemingly destroying Li entirely.
• Li regenerates from flesh in Blue Lake and transforms back into a Deep-Sea Python. He bites down on Hubble’s exposed tongue, striking a vital weakness before Hubble can react.
• Hubble panics and thrashes violently, creating a massive vortex. Li holds on, using Hubble’s resistance to strengthen the Sealing Spell and gradually re-establish control over him.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates increasing tactical ingenuity and courage. Rather than relying on brute strength, he studies Hubble’s instincts, deliberately risks being swallowed, transforms into a frog to escape, and ultimately turns his own apparent death into a trap.
• Harley remains cautious and experienced. Although he recognizes Li’s opportunity to save them, he refuses to let Zhu Ya interfere, understanding that Li must face Hubble’s trial himself. His knowledge comes from his father’s previous transformation into a Devouring Serpent.
• Zhu Ya shows strong concern and loyalty toward Li. She initially reacts emotionally and wants to rescue him, but accepts Harley’s reasoning and restrains herself, trusting Li to survive.
• Hubble/the Devouring Serpent is revealed as immensely powerful but driven by instinctive hunger and rage. His dependence on his tongue as a vital point exposes a vulnerability Li can exploit.

Significant Themes

• Risk and sacrifice: Li knowingly allows himself to be swallowed and seemingly destroyed in order to reach Hubble’s weakness.
• Strategy over strength: Li survives through observation, transformation, deception, and knowledge of serpent behavior rather than overpowering Hubble directly.
• Trust and restraint: Zhu Ya’s decision not to interfere reflects the difficult necessity of trusting another person’s abilities.
• Decay and persistence: Although the ancient Sealing Spell is fragmented and nearly ruined, it still retains enough power to restrain Hubble, suggesting that weakened forces can remain significant.
• Predator and prey reversal: Hubble initially treats Li as prey, but Li turns the situation around by becoming the hunter and biting the serpent’s tongue.
• Hidden vulnerabilities: Even seemingly overwhelming beings possess critical weaknesses, and Li’s success comes from identifying and exploiting one.

Character Interactions

• Harley and Zhu Ya clash over whether to intervene, with Harley insisting that helping Li directly would undermine his chance of truly defeating Hubble.
• Li interacts indirectly with Harley and Zhu Ya through the watched battle, while Zhu Ya anxiously observes and tries to understand his movements.
• Li and Hubble engage in a battle of wills: Hubble uses the lake and the Devouring Curse to constrict and consume Li, while Li uses the Sealing Spell to pin Hubble and ultimately attacks his tongue.
• The Red Sun Outpost mages witness the confrontation in terror, while Harley is astonished that Li has accomplished what no one else ever has—grasping and biting Hubble’s most vulnerable point.

Chapter Summary: “Becoming a Devouring Serpent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran uses the Sealing Spell to connect with the Cross hidden on Hubble’s tongue, successfully suppressing Hubble’s power.
• While biting down on Hubble’s tongue to maintain the connection, Li Ziran accidentally tears it off. This causes the Blue Lake to collapse into a terrifying black Void Expanse.
• The Void reveals itself as the true source of the Devouring Curse: a massive black-hole-like vortex that begins breaking down and absorbing Li Ziran.
• Zhu Ya realizes the phenomenon is powerful enough to destroy Red Sun Outpost, Red Sun Volcano, and the surrounding sea.
• Harley reassures Zhu Ya that Li Ziran will survive, then transforms into a gigantic deep-blue python and enters the vortex.
• Harley teaches Li Ziran how to move along the vortex’s rotational currents. He repeatedly slams into Li Ziran from behind, forcing him deeper toward the vortex’s core despite severe injuries.
• Harley’s efforts propel Li Ziran out of the vortex and into the magma layer inside Red Sun Volcano. Harley himself is swept away by the vortex.
• Li Ziran discovers that the core of Hubble’s devouring power is connected to the volcano’s magma. He consumes enormous quantities of magma, gaining mass and triggering the natural evolution of the Devouring Serpent Transformation Array.
• His skin develops intricate magical patterns and ancient characters, revealing that his body is undergoing a mutation similar to the formation of specialized organs such as the Sealing Curse Organ and Resurrection Gallbladder.
• As his body grows immensely heavy, Li Ziran instinctively coils around himself and begins generating gravity, drawing elemental energy inward.
• When he bites his own tail, the magical patterns across his body ignite and form a black hole surrounded by a larger, stronger Devouring Vortex—more stable and powerful than Hubble’s.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Progresses from merely wielding the Devouring Curse to becoming a genuine Devouring Serpent. His body evolves through mutation rather than forced control, allowing him to develop gravity, a black hole, and a powerful Devouring Vortex.
• Harley: Reveals that he has been evolving toward a Devouring Serpent himself. His knowledge of the vortex and willingness to sacrifice his body demonstrate his experience, courage, and concern for Li Ziran.
• Zhu Ya: Becomes aware of the immense danger posed by Li Ziran’s transformation and shows genuine fear for her grandfather and the destruction of Red Sun Outpost.
• Hubble: Loses his tongue, control, and apparent identity, becoming little more than a mindless giant serpent as his devouring power overwhelms the area.

Significant Themes

• Evolution through mutation: True magical power emerges when ordinary organs and bodies naturally transform into specialized forms.
• Devouring and rebirth: Li Ziran nearly dies by the same devouring force he has pursued, but surviving it allows him to surpass its previous form.
• Sacrifice and mentorship: Harley knowingly risks himself to guide Li Ziran toward the vortex’s core, helping him achieve a higher evolution.
• Instinct versus reason: After losing Hubble’s tongue and control, Li Ziran briefly approaches a beastlike state, while his serpent instincts ultimately guide his transformation.
• Power beyond control: The chapter emphasizes that some forces cannot be mastered through will alone; Li Ziran succeeds by allowing the Transformation Array to evolve naturally.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Hubble are locked together through the Sealing Spell until Li Ziran tears off Hubble’s tongue.
• Zhu Ya watches helplessly from the secret chamber and calls out to Harley for help.
• Harley reassures Zhu Ya before entering the vortex in serpent form.
• Harley guides Li Ziran through the Devouring Vortex, using his own body to push Li Ziran forward.
• After escaping into the volcano, Li Ziran is left alone to consume the magma and complete his transformation into a more powerful Devouring Serpent.

Chapter Summary: “Devouring Curse vs. Devouring Curse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran’s transformation into a Devouring Serpent reaches a new stage when he coils his head to his tail. The markings on his body activate, creating a massive black hole that devours seawater, magma, rocks, living creatures, and even space itself.
• The matter consumed by the black hole breaks down into basic elements and fuses into Li Ziran’s body, increasing his weight and strengthening the Devouring Curse. He realizes that the spell’s power depends on the immense physical mass of a true Devouring Serpent.
• Red Sun Outpost begins collapsing under the strain. Spatial cracks spread throughout the facility, storms and seawater pour through, and the Mages shelter behind protective barriers.
• Harley is thrown from the black hole and returns to human form. Zhu Ya helps him into the secret chamber, where they watch the outpost disintegrate. Harley remains confident that only a stronger Devouring Serpent can suppress Li Ziran.
• As the outpost’s space reaches its limit, Li Ziran’s enormous black hole confronts Hubble’s smaller, unstable black hole. Their collision tears open the environment, while both forces consume seawater and each other’s energy.
• Hubble abandons his watery Blue Lake body and transforms into a pure soul, launching himself into Li Ziran’s Spirit World. He intends to consume Li Ziran’s soul and seize control of his body, much as the Time Ghost once attempted.
• Inside Li Ziran’s soul, Hubble’s Devouring Curse steadily strengthens as he consumes soul energy. He ignores Li Ziran’s mental whirlwinds and forces his way toward the central core of Li Ziran’s soul.
• Li Ziran counters with his own evolved Devouring Curse. A serpent-head manifestation forms within his soul and blocks Hubble’s advance, devouring his serpent-tail form and rapidly dissolving his power.
• The chapter ends with Hubble reduced to half his body. Rather than resisting, he smiles strangely and appears willing—even eager—to let Li Ziran consume the rest of him.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Gains a much deeper understanding of the Devouring Curse and the requirements of the Devouring Serpent transformation. He moves from relying on physical transformation to manifesting the curse directly within his soul, demonstrating rapid growth and greater mastery.
• Hubble: Reveals himself as far more dangerous and desperate than expected. Though physically overpowered, he sacrifices his body and attacks Li Ziran at the soul level, showing both exceptional knowledge of the curse and a willingness to risk everything.
• Harley: Despite being injured and witnessing the destruction of Red Sun Outpost, he remains calm because he understands the nature of Li Ziran’s transformation and believes the conflict will ultimately be decided by the stronger Devouring Serpent.
• Zhu Ya: Her concern for Harley and fear of death become more apparent. Though she has long accepted the possibility of dying at the outpost, the actual collapse frightens her, emphasizing her emotional attachment to her grandfather.

Significant Themes

• Devouring as power and evolution: The Devouring Curse becomes stronger through mass, energy, and soul consumption. Both Li Ziran and Hubble embody different stages of its development.
• Teacher and student conflict: Li Ziran learned the Devouring Serpent Transformation Spell from Hubble, yet must now fight the mentor who taught him. Their confrontation is both physical and ideological: each attempts to prove mastery of the same power.
• Body versus soul: The battle shifts from the destruction of physical space to a struggle within Li Ziran’s soul, showing that true control of the curse requires mastery over both physical mass and spiritual energy.
• Destruction and sacrifice: Red Sun Outpost is consumed by the battle, while Hubble abandons his body and risks his soul in a final attack. Survival comes at the cost of destruction, transformation, or self-erasure.
• Uncertain victory: Although Li Ziran gains the upper hand, Hubble’s eerie acceptance suggests that his apparent defeat may be part of a larger plan.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhu Ya supports the injured Harley and repeatedly seeks reassurance from him as the outpost collapses.
• Harley comforts Zhu Ya while privately observing that Li Ziran has exceeded his limits.
• Li Ziran and Hubble clash first through opposing black holes, then through their souls and Devouring Curses.
• Hubble attempts to consume Li Ziran from within, while Li Ziran adapts the same technique to trap and digest Hubble.
• The final silent exchange—Hubble’s unsettling smile and apparent invitation to be consumed—leaves their relationship and the outcome of the conflict unresolved.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran stops devouring Hubble’s incomplete soul after seeing a faint, humanlike smile of relief and fulfillment. Through the Memory Eye, he witnesses Hubble’s past.
• Hubble was originally a Human Race scout and Upper Demon who infiltrated the Abyss to gather intelligence on the Devouring Serpent and the Abyss Lords. He specialized in Soul-Seizing, Transformation, and Dispersal Spells.
• After discovering the corpse of a Devouring Serpent containing seven unhatched eggs, the demons placed their souls inside the embryos. Hubble was the only one to hatch successfully because he dispersed the embryo’s original soul before seizing its body.
• Hubble developed the Devouring Curse from the serpent’s innate power, establishing the technique later used by other demons to strengthen themselves by devouring souls.
• After a volcanic eruption destroyed the research institute, Hubble escaped and encountered another Devouring Serpent, Leiwani. Neither initially recognized his abnormal identity. They hunted together, exchanged knowledge, and eventually became mates.
• Hubble gradually lost awareness of his human identity and began thinking and behaving like a true Devouring Serpent, even attempting to reproduce with Leiwani. Their efforts failed, possibly because of biological incompatibility or infertility.
• Believing the problem lay in his soul, Hubble stole research from the demons. He was eventually discovered, expelled from his body by a Demon Monarch, and driven toward the Human Race continent.
• Still influenced by the serpent’s instincts, he caused the “Devouring Calamity,” consuming powerful elemental creatures and becoming a monstrous threat hunted by Human Race Title Magisters.
• His human consciousness eventually recovered. With the help of an old friend, he sealed himself inside Red Sun Volcano and created a Derivative World to suppress the serpent’s instincts, though he continued longing for Leiwani and struggling with the desire to become a Devouring Serpent.
• Li Ziran exits the memory space after forming the Cross and stabilizing Hubble’s soul. His devouring has nearly drained the volcano of its red elements, weakening the sealed space.
• Returning to human form, Li Ziran reunites with Harley and admits he consumed too much. Harley realizes that Li is likely “Jones,” the human pursued by the Deep Sea demons, and confirms that Li created the Elemental Embryo.
• Li thanks Harley and prepares to leave. Harley says he will report Li’s identity to Human Race Headquarters. He then offers his granddaughter Zhu Ya as a guide for Li’s search for the Devouring Serpent.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Develops compassion for Hubble, recognizing him as both a teacher and a tragic victim of conflicting human and serpent identities. He gains deeper knowledge of the origins of curses and the Devouring Serpent while becoming more openly connected to the wider conflict involving Jones and the Deep Sea demons.
• Hubble: Is revealed to have lived as both a human spy and a Devouring Serpent. His transformation eroded his human identity, leaving him torn between rational consciousness, serpent instinct, love for Leiwani, and the desire to reproduce. His self-sealing demonstrates his determination to resist the monster within him.
• Leiwani: Serves as Hubble’s companion and mate. Through her, Hubble learns the instincts and techniques of true Devouring Serpents, accelerating his psychological transformation.
• Harley: Moves from Li’s mentor and protector to someone who recognizes Li’s importance in the Human Race’s struggle. Despite the damage to his sealed domain, he remains supportive and offers Zhu Ya as assistance.
• Zhu Ya: Is introduced as Harley’s granddaughter and a potential guide for Li. Her concern when Harley questions Li’s identity suggests she may be personally invested in his safety.

Significant Themes

• Identity and transformation: Hubble’s body becomes a serpent before his mind fully accepts it, eventually blurring the boundary between human identity and instinctive nature.
• Nature versus consciousness: The chapter questions whether Hubble remains human, becomes a serpent, or exists as a combination of both.
• The origins of curses: Li discovers that powerful curses may derive from the innate organs and abilities of specific races, using the Devouring Curse as evidence.
• Tragedy of instinct and desire: Hubble’s longing for Leiwani and his confused attempts to reproduce reveal how biological instincts can overpower reason.
• Sacrifice and mentorship: Hubble’s final smile and Li’s gratitude suggest a bond between teacher and student, while Hubble’s life reflects the sacrifices involved in creating and preserving knowledge.
• Conflicting loyalties: Hubble serves both the Human Race and the demons while secretly investigating each side, showing the moral ambiguity of war and espionage.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Hubble: Li witnesses Hubble’s memories, recognizes his suffering, and chooses not to reveal everything to Harley, believing Hubble is better left sealed.
• Hubble and Leiwani: They begin as fellow hunters, exchange knowledge, become mates, and unintentionally deepen Hubble’s loss of human identity.
• Hubble and the demons: The demons exploit his body and knowledge, elevate him after he develops the Devouring Curse, then hunt and expel him when he becomes uncontrollable.
• Hubble and humanity: After causing the Devouring Calamity, Hubble is pursued by Human Race magisters but eventually receives help from an old friend, who assists him in sealing himself away.
• Li Ziran and Harley: Their affectionate mentor-student relationship is reaffirmed through Li’s thanks and embrace, despite Li’s destruction of Harley’s volcanic sanctuary.
• Harley, Li Ziran, and Zhu Ya: Harley tests Li’s identity, learns of his connection to Jones and the Elemental Embryo, and assigns Zhu Ya to accompany him as a guide.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Hungry, I Need to Eat a Whale”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Harley proposes that Zhu Ya accompany Li Ziran as a guide through the dangerous Deep Sea. He believes her knowledge of the region and her Transformation Array abilities will help Li avoid the unstable Spatial Rifts.
• After some hesitation, Li agrees, recognizing that reaching the Devouring Serpent quickly is more important than traveling alone.
• Li prepares to leave Red Sun Outpost with Baron and Zhu Ya aboard the robot. Before departing, he gives Harley a written promise for 30,000 Elemental Embryos within a year as compensation for the energy he consumed from Red Sun Volcano.
• Harley accepts the promise, realizing that Li’s embryos are far more valuable than ordinary elemental weapons. He warns Li that the Devouring Serpent they seek is more dangerous than his own father and asks Li to protect Zhu Ya.
• Harley also urges Li to reconsider his perception of Zhu Ya, hinting that she may be more capable and valuable than Li assumes. Zhu Ya reacts with embarrassed shyness.
• The robot leaves Red Sun Outpost, and Li watches the elemental volcano gradually die after its energy has been drained.
• During the journey, Zhu Ya prepares an elaborate meal and wine. Li enjoys the ordinary comforts, reflecting on how long it has been since he allowed himself to relax.
• Their peaceful trip ends when Baron crashes the robot into an active undersea volcano near the Razorblade Sea. Rather than treating the collision as merely an accident, Zhu Ya suggests that they may obtain food there—specifically, a whale.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes more willing to trust others and accept help. Although he remains suspicious and independent, he acknowledges Harley’s goodwill and agrees to travel with Zhu Ya.
• Li develops a stronger emotional connection to Harley and Red Sun Outpost. He realizes that Harley and the mages accepted him as a person rather than rejecting him because of his origins or identity.
• Li briefly considers the possibility of settling peacefully among the Human Race, but rejects it because his nature drives him toward creation, discovery, and constant advancement.
• His enjoyment of wine, food, music, and quiet relaxation reveals a softer, more human side. He recognizes that survival has caused him to forget that he is also entitled to enjoy life.
• Harley demonstrates generosity and political insight. He values Li’s technology, but his concern for Zhu Ya shows that his relationship with Li is not purely transactional.
• Zhu Ya appears eager to accompany Li and may have a deeper personal purpose or expectation behind the journey. Her skills, confidence, and ability to care for the group become more apparent.
• Baron remains practical and energetic, managing the robot but also causing the accidental collision that interrupts the journey.

Significant Themes

• Trust and mutual goodwill: Li and Harley move from a potentially tense exchange toward genuine respect and affection.
• Belonging and identity: Li begins to feel that he may have a place among the Human Race, despite previously seeing himself as fundamentally separate from it.
• The tension between survival and living: Li’s habitual focus on strength and survival is contrasted with the simple pleasure of food, wine, singing, and rest.
• Creation and ambition: Li cannot permanently settle into safety because invention and advancement are central to his nature.
• The dangers of exploration: The Deep Sea and Razorblade Sea represent an unknown, unstable environment filled with Spatial Rifts and powerful creatures.

Character Interactions

• Harley persuades Li to accept Zhu Ya as a guide by emphasizing the dangers and time lost in the Deep Sea.
• Li and Harley share an emotional farewell, including an embrace and Li’s promise to repay him with Elemental Embryos.
• Harley affectionately warns Li to care for Zhu Ya, while teasing that Li should view her as more than merely a guide or instructor.
• Zhu Ya helps operate the robot and prepares food for Li, creating an unexpectedly domestic atmosphere.
• Baron and Zhu Ya work together to navigate the robot, but Baron’s mistake leads them into an active volcano.
• The chapter ends humorously with Zhu Ya declaring that she is hungry enough to eat a whale, foreshadowing the group’s next encounter with the sea’s wildlife.

Chapter Summary: “Li Ziran’s Birthday”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya hunt for food in the Deep Sea, draining the energy from an undersea volcano. Their presence causes the surrounding sea creatures—including swordfish, sea sharks, and whales—to flee in terror.
• Li Ziran absorbs the volcano’s energy to increase his weight, while Zhu Ya hunts whales and continues training her transformation abilities. She can now assume the form of a Deep-Sea Python but has not yet fully become a Devouring Serpent.
• After returning to Baron’s robot, Zhu Ya prepares a meal of creamy mushroom soup. Li Ziran praises her cooking, which visibly pleases her.
• Zhu Ya surprises Li Ziran with a homemade birthday cake decorated with candles and the words, “Li Ziran, 23, Happy Birthday!”
• Li Ziran is shocked because cake, birthdays, and birthday wishes belong to memories from his former life—memories he never consciously shared with Zhu Ya.
• Zhu Ya explains that their souls were partially blended through Soul Weaving, allowing her to sense some of his deeply buried memories. She recreated the cake using cocoa beans, cream, and fruit despite lacking the proper ingredients.
• Although Zhu Ya has mistaken the date—believing it to be his birthday when it is actually the fifth anniversary of his arrival in this world—Li Ziran is deeply touched by her effort.
• He makes a private wish for Zhu Ya to be happy, blows out the candles, and shares the cake equally with Zhu Ya and Baron.
• The cake is excessively sweet, but Li Ziran pretends to enjoy it and eats his portion. Zhu Ya then gives him her share after Baron subtly suggests it.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Remains cautious and emotionally guarded, initially suspecting Zhu Ya’s surprise may be dangerous. However, her thoughtfulness affects him deeply, revealing a softer and more sentimental side. His wish shows that he has begun to care sincerely about Zhu Ya’s happiness.
• Zhu Ya: Demonstrates growing confidence, affection, and domestic ability. She trains diligently to close the gap between herself and Li Ziran, hunts effectively, cooks for the group, and uses Soul Weaving to create a meaningful surprise.
• Baron: Acts as a supportive companion and comic relief. He enjoys Zhu Ya’s cooking, helps reassure Li Ziran that the surprise is harmless, and cleverly avoids having to finish his cake.

Significant Themes

• Emotional intimacy and trust: Soul Weaving creates a connection deeper than either character fully recognizes, allowing Zhu Ya access to Li Ziran’s hidden memories.
• Care expressed through action: Zhu Ya’s imperfect cake and meal demonstrate genuine affection more powerfully than words.
• Memories and belonging: Li Ziran’s reaction to the cake connects his former life with his present one and emphasizes how isolated he has been from ordinary human celebrations.
• Found family and companionship: The shared meal and birthday ritual create a warm domestic moment amid the dangers of the Deep Sea.
• Selfless affection: Li Ziran’s wish is not for himself but for Zhu Ya’s happiness, signaling an important emotional shift.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Ya seeks Li Ziran’s approval of her soup and cake, while he reassures her that both are good despite his initial suspicion and the cake’s excessive sweetness.
• Li Ziran is startled by Zhu Ya’s closeness and distrustful of her request to close his eyes, but Baron’s reassurance allows the surprise to proceed.
• Zhu Ya scolds Baron for trying to eat the cake before Li Ziran cuts it, reinforcing the birthday ritual’s importance.
• Baron and Zhu Ya cooperate to persuade Li Ziran to eat more cake, with Zhu Ya willingly giving him her portion.

Chapter Summary: “Undersea Hunting Time”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya travel through the deep sea in their colossal python forms, effortlessly crossing trenches, silencing volcanoes, scattering whales, and destroying anything in their path.
• Baron’s robot submarine struggles to keep up, while Li Ziran enjoys his newfound freedom and strength after five days since his transmigration.
• Zhu Ya repeatedly devours passing demons, both for nourishment and because of her instinctive hostility toward them. Together, the pair devastate the region, destroying thirteen volcanoes, two whale groups, and consuming roughly thirty thousand demons.
• Their activities alarm the major factions of the world:
  • The Human Alliance loses deep-sea outposts.
  • The Elves suffer the destruction of an outpost.
  • The Goblins’ underwater Derivative Space is damaged by the waves.
  • Dwarves and Orcs suspect the return of an Abyssal Serpent.
  • Demon monarchs investigate after tens of thousands of demons disappear.
• During a break, Li Ziran bathes, eats meals prepared by Zhu Ya, and continues practicing his spells and transformations.
• Through Soul Weaving with Zhu Ya, Li Ziran improves his Frog and Devouring Serpent transformations and begins mastering the Dispersal Spell. He now possesses four major Light Spells: Redemption, Resurrection, Sealing, and Dispersal.
• The pair eventually reaches the Razorblade Sea, a dangerous region filled with Spatial Rifts capable of destroying anything that enters them. Li Ziran changes into a much smaller Deep-Sea Octopus Frog to maneuver safely.
• After crossing the first rift, an apparent Elven escort approaches. The group is actually composed of demons possessing Elven bodies and is led by Jones, the Golden Horn Demon.
• Jones enters the airship and tearfully embraces Li Ziran, claiming he spent heavily searching for him. He reveals that he came because of Li Ziran’s interest in a Devouring Serpent.
• Li Ziran realizes that Jones’s earlier claim about trapping a Devouring Serpent was a trap involving the Razorblade Sea. He sarcastically exposes Jones’s deception, leaving Jones embarrassed.

2. Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Becomes increasingly powerful and comfortable in the deep sea, which he now views as his natural domain. His strength allows him to influence the sea, destroy volcanoes, and survive dangerous environments. He also grows more emotionally open through his bond with Zhu Ya and begins valuing comfort, companionship, and simple pleasures such as food and bathing.
• Zhu Ya: Demonstrates enormous strength and efficiency as a predator, devouring demons to aid her evolution. Her closeness with Li Ziran deepens through Soul Weaving, allowing them to exchange spell knowledge and insights.
• Baron: Remains loyal but struggles to keep pace with the two enormous pythons. He continues serving as their technological support and recognizes Jones when he arrives.
• Jones: Shifts from an apparent ally and major buyer to a revealed manipulator. His supposed offer regarding a Devouring Serpent was actually a trap, though he remains eager to preserve his relationship with Li Ziran.

3. Significant Themes

• Freedom and rebirth: Li Ziran’s movement through the ocean symbolizes his escape from his former limitations and his rebirth into a stronger existence.
• Mutual exchange and intimacy: Soul Weaving represents a profound merging of knowledge, power, and emotion between Li Ziran and Zhu Ya.
• Power and fear: Their actions disrupt the political balance of the world, causing every major race and faction to react with anxiety.
• Moral detachment: Li Ziran remains largely indifferent to the deaths of demons and other creatures, though he is unusually protective of Zhu Ya’s happiness.
• Trust and deception: Jones’s attempted trap highlights the danger of relying on apparent allies. Li Ziran’s calm sarcasm shows that he now holds the upper hand.
• The return of lost power: Li Ziran’s growing mastery of Light Spells hints that an ancient or vanished Light Spell may eventually be restored.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Zhu Ya share playful, competitive movements in the ocean and repeatedly use Soul Weaving to exchange energy, spell knowledge, and understanding.
• Li Ziran allows Zhu Ya to hunt demons because he values her satisfaction and recognizes the benefit to her evolution.
• Li Ziran maintains a comfortable routine with Zhu Ya, relying on her prepared meals and enjoying quiet periods between cultivation sessions.
• Li Ziran stops Zhu Ya from immediately attacking Jones, choosing to hear him out because Jones remains a valuable buyer.
• During their conversation, Li Ziran subtly mocks Jones’s supposed Devouring Serpent trap, forcing Jones to realize that his deception has been discovered.